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A group of six unlikely but resilient youngsters encounter the way of a colossal and terrible supernatural malevolence that has entered our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They must spend their lifetimes confronting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Resonant Storyline with a New Twist

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s new massive horror novel, in which six friends summon the age-old, deeply sinister serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

The author started his career making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Central Figures

Returning to the group: five of them are students at the fictional Rackham College in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, bookish and brilliant, deciphering Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, affluent, sharp, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their band as they toy, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Critical Ritual

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and chilling publication: the journal of occultist Enoch Crane (condemned “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Creative Scope

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with effortless ease between genres: as the companions endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a section tinged by JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Tapestry of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of bravery and ones of terrible wickedness, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is chiefly a paean to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into being with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.